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Co-Operative Farm Products Marketing How It Is Done in Europe and May lie Pone in America to the I*rofit of Both Farmer and Consumer By MATTHEW t*. DUDGEON. (Copy i J0hl, ivH, VVi'Kofri N?wip*per i nlon.j EGGS FOR EVERYBODY. Copenhagen, Denmark l>ld you know thai the people 111 New York ?lon<* eat on** hundred fifty million do/en ol <'KK? every year and Hint I hey something like forty the mil lion (Jollgrn? I >I<I you know tltul an expert Iihk estimated thai each year America cuts uoiii?thlnK I i k ?? one thou sand million dollar* worth of eggs? i How Eqqh Spoil. When tin* farmer used to go to town his wife wmil along v>lth a basket of eggs containing posalbly four or ntx or ton dozen of them These eggs we're delivered to the general country store keeper and I n hi <mkI of paying for them in ranli tin' merchant gave trade lu exchange 'I he price of eggH was low and when I he prlco was further re doced by translation into sugar. or cof fee nt a high prlcO the results were of rio groat significance. Kgg selling then was In fact a nmall buslncHs Ah a Hinall business It wan not for a long Mine developed alohK scientific llhes. The hon laid only when tho weather wbk good. She lain a fresh egg of course, hut it wan likely to lie around in dirty neat until tlnie and a summer heat made it a very hud egg to look nt and a worse egg to eat. Not all <ggs spoiled but ho many went had that. scattered through the lot sent In by the farmer they lowered the grade <>f all bo that even the freshet went only as "eggs" because no otic knew they were "strictly fresh." Strictly fresh eggs were practically unobtainable iih a 111 alter of fact. Aft er the farmer'* wife delivered the eggs to the merchant he kept them around n few., days or maybe weeks until he had a fairly largo shipment. They might be in (In- ('('liar and they might be in (lie back of i he store where ltl w as wanner, but at any rate they gained nothing in llay.or or quality from bin storage Then he sent, them} to some merchant in the county, seat nearby. This dealer kept them awhile until an accumulation made a shipment . possible to the city eomtnls sion merchaul in Milwaukee, Boston , or Kansas City They then might be sold bv t he commission agent to the retail 'trade or I hey might be put In cold storage or they might be shipped) to some; distant place. But you may.} rest assured that It was- some time be fore the egg laid on th?' tm'm found i itH way to the breakfast table of the > city consumer Much time hud been consumed, unnecessary expense had. been Incurred in going through t h 1 h slow, unbusinesslike, unscientific sys tem -of distribution. Hut worse than A Few Oani6h Eggs. the delay and c\|H!Ubc involved was the fart that the ckk which started down tin- line from the lien as ":i strictly fresh" egg hud little chance of reaching its dest i nut ion as anything but a had egg A Wasteful, Expensive Process. The whole process is wasteful Last , sumnifj1 in Missouri titerallv hundreds' of wauon loads of egns were driven off into the woods and dumped simply because they had none had upon the; hands of those who were not able to : market them promptly Then too the' loss and damage, from breakage is con Side ruble, and one authority has esti mated that the bundling of e^ns by those who pack and ship them is so in expert that each year seventy five mil lion dollars worth are broken and lost In transportation. Is It any wonder that when eggs du ally reach the consumer they often ?cost him more than twice what the farmer received for them? Is it any >onder that the farmer Is dissatisfied ! ?with the price he receives when it is : sometimes less than one-half what the consumer pays Is it any wonder the' city man kicks at the price which he 1 pays, kicks again when he tinds that the high priced eKtfs are had oKgs A Better, More Businesslike Way. Contrast this method of handling with the way it is done bv the cooper ative organizations abroad Denmark leads in egg marketing as m th> mar keting of almost every other farm produce. At Frederickssund in Den- , mark, for example, ten thousand farm- | ors own an egg packing establishment, j Every farmer gathers every ogn from tho nest every day. In hot weather he is required to gather the eggs twice a i day. At least three times a week ho j *ends In his egga to one of the collect lug points which urn located conve niently. Thence they go to the cen tral station Thjpy are good. clean eggs.-j too, for not only have they been promptly gathered and kept In a cool place, but the nests themselves are kept clean and frost), Ah the egg Is delivered It Is carefully tented; no egtj which Ih had either In appearance or In substance, passes muster. lCvery egg bears n stamp Indicating ' who de livered the eg g to the association. The fanner who Honds In a bad egg Ih lined. These 10,000 farmers through their manager whom they hired and who lu a highly skilled man. ship. most ' Of these eggs directly to the retail dealers In Kugland The manager, an he himself told us, abHolutely refuses to aell through the London commis sion men because they demand a per centage which cuts down the profit of the farmer who produces . the eggH and raises the price to the city man who eatu them. At the moment of shipping lie knows. JuHt where there Ih a demand for eggs and consequently Is Hure that the eggs will be promptly accepted and promptly resold. 80 effi cient Ih this proceHH that within hIx days after the egg Ih laid by the hen It may be on the table of the consumer In distant England.' During every minute of that hIx days the egg has been ho well cared for that. It has had no chance to deteriorate In quality in the ^lightest degree. Not only does the farmer receive a good price for this egg but, because the proees? of distribution Is so efficient and Inex pensive, the .final retail price Is rea sonable and the consumer profits as much as the producer. The stamp of a Danish co-operative association on an egg Is a guarantee of quality. Co-Operative Egg Export. Some of tile smaller Danish socle ties had in the beginning a little ditli culty in standardizing their product and hi establishing stable prices. To assist lu accomplishing these two ob Jects the Danish Co-operative lOgg Ex port society was organized in 189u The purpose <?f this organization Is to standardi/i* the output and bring about greater liability in prices. The cen tral society is made up of a large num ber of local associations each of which contains at least ten members Kach producer must stamp the eggs with his own number and that of the group to which he belongs- t-'va-i it rs possible to ascertain exactly who sup plied each egg The farmer who sends In a bad egg Is lined The eg gs are then sent to packing centers, whence they are shipped according to a llxed price determined a week in advance by the managing committee. Although not twenty years old the Danish lOgg Rxport society consists of 5f?0 groups and did a business. In 1908, of more than $?>. 000,000. Danish eggs bring fancy prices because they are always fresh, well sorted, well packed, and guaranteed Dutch Eggs. Tho organization of egg societies has also been taken up by the Dutch farmers, the system adopted being practically the same as that which prevails in Denmark Ik)chI societies are formed and a (III iated to a Central Provincial federa tion. which is responsible for grading, testing, packing, and shipping. The eggs are collected by the local socie ties ami forwarded regujarlv to the Central Depot. Kvery member of a local society is furnished with a num ber, which must be stamped on tho eggs before delivery. The 'eggs are carefully tested, and a member supply ing stale eggs is subject to a penalty of one dollar for every egg rejected. The Association of Co-operative Creameries in l.imburg was the first to take up the co-operative export of eggs. The province of Frlesland fol lowed There ts a poultry association which works over the whole of Hol land. and has eleven provincial branches, but this association does not trade, having been established to pro tect the interests and develop the in dustry of poultry farming generally. The Frlesland Export Federation was established in 190.T and tho total value of -the shipments in 1900 was about $100,000 How Irish Eggs Are Sold. A recent activity of the Irish Agri cultural Organization society has been the establishment of poultry products associations, patterned entirely after the Danish system already described. This is. of course, about the simplest and easiest form of a co-operative en terprise to establish, as the outlay of Invested capital is small, the returns prompt and continuous and the prod uct at leasf the eggs, readily stand ardized Tho eggs, in taci are not only stamped, sorted and packed as by the Danes, but the producers are paid for them almost entirely by weight instead i of by number. These co operative egg [ companies have succeeded beyond ex pectation and the value of the egg ex j ports handled co-operatively is about i equal to the dairy exports, although I the poultry produm tR of much I value than dairy produce. In flermany the "gg? are marketer; I much a i ?h? y arc in Denmark in ' lie on?* provlov e. of 1 1 tin over there are for | example oik* hundred forty two coop era li ve poultry socletlui Hom<- of] these oombllin the breeding of(poultry or the other forms of cooperation with the selling otjS'KK* Ninety-eight egg; socle! leu, however, are devoted eU:l tlrely to egg selling and In the year 19 in disused of 27,ft00,000 eggs r?-ul- 1 l/in# tlurefrom over $400,000. 00 for distribution among their cooperative . members. To belong to the society each farmer pays an entrance fee of twenty-live cents; shares In the society cost each $1.20 of which, however, only twelve cents is paid down, the balance befog gradually paid by a distribution of (liv id- ?ml:- upon the trading profits. Tho Cooperative society at Hanover owns] a substantial brick egg house from which 44O.OO0 eggs are sold each yeur. The collector who is paid 50c for every one thousand eggs collected calls once a week at the farm house of each member of the co-operative egg sell- j Ing society. The wonvitn who tests,! sorts and packs the eggs is paid fif teen cents for every one thousand | eggs passing through her hands. A. clerk from a neighboring dry good* store attend* to Urn billing and keeps the books of the society, receiving twenty-five c*?nts for every one thou sand eggs handled and recorded Sum ming up all the expense Incurred by the society In collecting, testing, sort-] ing, packing and shipping the eggs It j costs less than four hundred dollars j to market almost half a million eggs ( The customers aro obtained In the first Instance through the chamber of agriculture at Hanover. This |s a sort of rural chamber of commerce which , among other things keeps an up-io-i dale list of customers who are good pay and who are honest dealors. Each j week- the society ships lurge consign- 1 merits to the various cities of the Oer- 1 man Empire seldom finding it neces- j sary to export to foreign countries, ' Experience. shows that under this Ger man co-operative system of marketing the cash returns upon each do/an of egRs are from three to six cents great er than they were when they were sold to the ordinary buyer. On the other hand not a penny has been added i to the cost to the consumers, who In the majority of instances get egga Danish Farm Yard. che-ape-?- than they got them before and of better quality. The more economic leas wasteful system of marketing makes egg production more profitable to the farmer, leads him to produce more eggs, increases the supply, and, by the soundest principles of practical business economics, lowers the price to the consumer. Americans Can Co-Operate in Eggs. Nor has the. co-operative marketing of eggs been confined to Europe W? have in our own country some excel lent inbtltutlons which demonstrate that the co operative procedure which is good for the European hen upon the continent of Europe is good for the American hen upon American solL One of these is at Dassel, Minn. These are the results in two years: During the first year, the egg selling society handled six thousand do?.eii eggs, receiving an average of five cents a do/en more for their product than wan . paid for the miscellaneous eggs on the same markets, thus mak ing over $22 per member. The second year, the association shipped 60.000 dozen eggs, with the came success, while the Dassel Prod uce company ta private concern) shipped 120.000 dozen more in carton box lots In all, 180,000 dozen eggs were sent from this Mttle town during the year, for which these progressive farmers received nearly $50,000 in cash or $0,000 more than they could have received under the old system, whereas only enough eggs were for merly taken in trade at the village gro cery stores to supply the five hundred people 11 vine in Dassel. Other American Co-Operative Egg So cieties. At Hickory. North Carolina, a co operative egg marketing grew out of and became engrafted upon a co-oper ative creamery business. That the existing co-operative creameries can easily :>nd naturally assume the funo tlons of an egg marketing Institution is evidenced by the success which several Minnesota creameries have at tained in this line The co-operative society need not necessarily be a largo organization. The nine Mounds Egg association of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, consists of only seven members The home of one of the members constituted the headquarters of the concern. Modest RR was this venture it notted the mem bers a very considerable margin above the price which they otherwise would V have been able to obtain As the foun der said: "It requires almost no time, the association runs itself" In fact all that is needed today Is the con viction that what has been done else where car be done In any community " In the United States if only the hens ire on hand to do iheir shares Bank Stock For Sale I am offering for sale, within 30 days, live thousand ($>,000) Dollars worth of stock of the Loan & Savings Bank, of Camden, S. ('. L. L. CLYBURN DeKALB. S. C. BANK STOCK WANTED ? ' ' I hereby offer Five I hous and I* ive Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00) for the Five Thousand Dollars of Loan & Saving^Bank Stock, (50 shares) advertised by L. L. Clyburn, that is to say, ten per cent, above par. Henry Savage CAMDEN, S. C. MONEY TO liOAN. On improved farms. Easy terms Apply to B. B. Clarke. Camden, S C. . 60. SAM WING LAUNDRY Sm PHONE 91 ? 915] Broad St., Camden, S. C. DO YOU KNOW you can buy the very highest grade groceries the market affords at our place of business? DO YOU KNOW you don't have to be a merchant to do this? DO YOU KNOW ' ' . . ? --.-r we are giving closer prices to the trade than has been given in twenty years ? DO YOU KNOW , we would be pleased to give YOU these prices, and that we woujd appreciate your patronage? MURCHISON Wholesale Supply Company For SORE HEAD (Chicken Pox) Tills dread di?ease will practicaHy ruin the flock unless <juiek)y checked. prail s Sore Head iChicken Pox) Remedy 25 and 60c is a sure cure. Finht lice, mites, ctc., with a sure weapon. PraitS* Powdered Lice Killer tie aW 4 Or. Is easily applied and .never fails. Refuse substitutes; insist on I'ratts. <? Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money Back A'c< J'ratta 160 page I'ouUru Book Koi* sale in ('jiimlcn by Springs O. Shannon and Khanu* Bros. COLUMBIA LUMBER & MANUFACTURING CO. MILL WORK SASH, DOORS, BLINDS AND LUMBER PLAIN & HUGER STS. Phone 71 COLUMBIA, S. C. Farm Lands For Sale 510 acres, more or less, known us the Spencer Place; situated 12 miles Southwest of Camden on the Coulter's Ferry Road; 100 acres of open land, two horse farm under cultivation; land lie? well; good stream running water; plenty of wood and good quantity of timber on this tract. Price $10 per acre. Farm of W. K. DeLoaehe, situate 2 1-2 miles Southeast of Camde* containing 270 acres; 150 acres of open land, part of this under cul tivation; timber and wood enough for place; land producing well; ad joining lands have sold for $80.00 per acre; one five room dwelling* a good barn and seven tenant houses. For sale at $3 5.00 per acre. The I)oby Place containing 45 0 acres 3 miles of Blnney; 250 acr$5 open land, a part of this under cultivation; 100 acres pasture land under wire.; some good opon creek land, plenty of^ wood and ?om? timber on the place; good buildings; one overseers house,; 6 tenant houses and two barns. Twenty-five mile creek runs through this pro perty. Price $7,500. Terms: 1-4 cash, balance in three ^ears at the usual rate of interest. 361 acres on Town Creek, four miles south of Camden; 00 acre* open land; two tenant houses. Will sell at a bargain. Plat of same ? can be seen at our office. 137 acres on Lockhart lload known as the Wheat Place; seventy one acres under cultivation; 3 tenant houses and one dwelling. Pr1c? $22.00 per acre. 100 acres three miles from Camden betweeen the Kershaw and Laborty Hill Rond; 50 acres under cultivation; one four room dwell ing and barns. Price $3 5.00 per acre. 75 acres adjoining City Limits, known as Race Track Place of H. (?. Carrison; one good overseer's house, severnl tenant houses and barns; improvements 'first class; lands in high state of cultivation. Price Reasonable 1,000 acres eight miles from Camden, on Charleston Road. - oa if horn If'itln/nv urlili "I-""- ? u ? - - ? vii v,'?ru>tjion. Koau. oh Southern Railway with siding and ware house; one new over-seer'e house, eight tenant houses, 1 large barn, 1 gin house and equipment and 1 cotton house. 1,200 acres swamp land, excellent for cattle or hay culture;; 650 acres upland. 300 acres of the upland being of tbe rinest land in the state and in the highest state of cultivation. Pric? $21 an acre. Very easy terms. 352 acres of land known as the Creed property, eight miles North of Camden; 2 00 acres open land, some timber and plenty of wood on place; one half mile from good school; one five room dwelling, barns, one store building and ten tenant houses. Price on application. Terms: one-third cash, balance to suit purchaser. Small farm, property of H. M. Fincher, one mile East of Camden; one new $1,200 dwelling and barns; land in high state of cultivation 10 acres of this land produced seven 500 weight bales of cotton and 144 bushels of corn. Price $3,000. Terrms 1-6 cash, balance at 1 per cent on easy terms. Wo also have listed with vis a good selection of City property. ? C. P. DuBose & Company Real Estate City Property Farm Lands